Nnamdi Kanu has been restricted legal access by the Department of State Service, he has been charged for terrorism in the federal high court in Abuja.

Kanu, detained since June 2021 after being repatriated from Kenya, has seen his legal team repeatedly claim that the DSS is intentionally blocking their access to him. This issue led the court on October 17 to warn DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi, threatening possible jail time if access denial continues. In response, the court ordered Ajayi to explain the ongoing restrictions, which reportedly stem from orders within the SSS hierarchy.

Earlier, Judge Binta Nyako directed on May 20 that Kanu be permitted visitors three times a week—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—in a secure, clean room to meet with up to five lawyers for his defense preparation. Recently obtained court documents highlighted that these sessions were to provide ample space for Kanu’s legal team to take necessary notes.

Despite these directives, DSS officials argue that the court order only applies when active trial proceedings are underway, which they claim have been temporarily paused. They cited Kanu’s previous request for Justice Nyako’s recusal as a factor in delaying proceedings, though she has now resumed the case. The DSS, however, maintains that visitation is only warranted once trial proceedings officially resume.

Kanu’s lawyer, Nnaemeka Ejiofor, criticized the DSS’s interpretation as “childish,” emphasizing that the court order remains valid until explicitly overturned. He argued, “An order of the court does not ordinarily expire unless replaced by a subsequent court order.” Ejiofor added that the DSS has no legal basis to restrict access, stating, “Is it when the trial resumes that we begin to prepare Kanu for trial?”